Fastener



1,642,278 Sept. 13 1927 N, F. VANDERLIPP FASTENER Filed Nov. 5, 1925 my, Vm

f ATTORNEYS.

` vas LIS@ I Patented ySept. 13, 192.7.

UNITED STATES y A 1,642,278 PATENT OFFICE.

NATHAN r. VANDERLIPP, or RLooMFIRLD, NEW JERSEY, AssIGNoR To WRIGHT ARR'ONAUTICAI. CORPORATION, A CORPORATION or lNEW YORK.

i rAsTENER.

Application led November an improved composite structure by which 'two parts or objects may be readily connected together or disengaged from one another without the use of tools, and withgut the employment of any loose connecting pieces which might become easily lost under ordinaryv operating conditions; which permits of a rapid connection or disconnection ofv said parts; which will afford a strong and durable connection between two members; with which the danger `of accidental or unintentional disconnection of the members is reduced to a minimum; and which will be relatively simple, convenient and inexpensive.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description Y 3@ of several embodiments ofthe invention, and

the novel features will be particularl pointed out hereinafter in vconnection wit the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing be connected to form the Icomposite structure, said -members being shown separated froml one another but positioned to' be connected;

Fig. 2 is a similar perspective with the members connected together in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 3is a somewhat Isimilar perspective of two members connected in accordance embodiment thereof;

Fig. 4 is a similar perspective of still an- 'other embodiment ofthe invention; andv Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation through two members also connected in accordance with the invention, and illustrating still another embodiment thereof.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, a 'stud l, such as a4 bolt, is secured to one of rial, such as sheet metal.

i Fig. l is a perspective -of two members to.

with the invention, but illustrating another l p p y across the aperture 4, as shown at the left.

5, 1925. serial No. 66,944. v

member 3. The member 3in the particular example, illustrates a portion of the Cowling of an airplane and is formed of sheet mate- The member 3 is provided with an aperture 4 for receiving the projecting end of the stud l, and through which the stud l projects to some extent. The stud l, in the particular example, is in the natu-re of a bolt having intermediate of its ends a collar or peripheral flange 5 which abuts against one face of the member 2.

A nut (j may be threaded upon the stud and against the other face of the member 2 to clamp the -stud firmly to the member 2 with the headedend of the bolt projecting from thel facei of the member 2. The space 7 between the head 8 ofthe stud and theperipheral flange or collar 5 is in eifect an undercut in the bolt which vis utilized in 'a manner to `be explained presently. The thickness of the flange or collar 5 is substantially the thickness of the member 3 which is passed thereover, and has a diameter substantially that of the aperture 4 0f the member 3, so as to substantially fill the aperture 4 when. inserted therein in the manner shown in Fig. 2. v

A stretch of resilient wire 9 is doubled upon itself into a somewhat U-shaped form, so as to provide resilient armslO and 1]. which are connected by a short base portion or stretch 12. The short base portion l2l is secured against a f aceof the member` 3 in a suitable manner such as by a bearingjor hinge strap 13, which fitsover the base portion'12 and abuts against the'member 3, being secured to the latter in a suit-ableY Inanner, vsuch asvby rivets 14. The'strap may have a slight, partially cylindrical concavity or ltransverse groove fitting over t-he short base portion 12, so that the strap will lie flat against the face of the member 3 Vwith the -base portion 12 within thetransverse groove.

r-llhearms l0 and ll normally extend in Fig. .1, andmaybe .swungf'about the hinged connection formed by vthe 'strap 13 the members 2 whichis to be connected. to a and from which the headed end of the Stull ico I projects.

The stretch of wire may then be swung about its hinge across the head of the stud, the arms 10 and 11 sprung laterally to clear the head and then released, whereupon they will snap into the undercut portion 7 beneath the head 3 of the stud and lock the stud against'removal or withdrawal from the aperture.

It will be understood that the arms 10 and 11 could be sprung apartfrom over the aperture 4 while the stud was being inserted through the aperture without being` swung into the dotted position, but in many cases, itis desirable to swing the wirey latch into the dotted position of Fig. 2y in order that the-.stud may be inserted without hindrance from the latch. The latter is particularly desirable vwhen there are several of such fastening devices for a large member 3, and where individual attention at each stud during the assembly is impractical.

In order to prevent accidental or unintentional disengagement of the resilient arms 10 and 11 from the undercut of the stud, one of the arms such as 10, may have its free end bent into the form of a hook 15 with which the other arm 11 may be engaged by a springing together of the free projectingl ends of the two arms 10 and 11, as shown in Fig. 2. -lhe engagement with one another of said arms 10and 11 will effectively prevent. their accidental or unintentional disengagement rom'the stud, and therefore a very effective and reliable connection' is established between the two connected mem-` bers.

Referring to Fig. 3, the construction is the same as in Figs. land 2 except that individual hoolrs 16 maybe secured to or provided upon the face of the member 3 through and from which the headed end of the bolt projects, so that the arms '10. and 11 of the wire latch may be individually'hoolred yor latched in locked position across the aper-l ture and in lthe undercut 7 to prevent unintentional or accidental release of the stud.

ln Fig. 4 a similar but .SOmeWhatsimpl'er construction is illustrated, in which the latch consists of a single stretch 17 of wire havingV an offset portion 18 at one end hingedly secured to a face of the member 3 by a strap 13 asin the preceding embodiments,rthe portion of the Vwire at each end of the section covered by the strap being offset or made slightly angular to prevent its endwise movement in the groove of the strapf rllhe wire 17 may be swung i to a position across the aperture 4 so as to `lie snapped over the head 8 of the vvstud and into the undercut 7 thereof as in vt-he preceding embodiment. The free end of the wire 17 may be hooked beneath a tongue or hook19 similar to the hook 16 of Fig. 3, so thatit cannot be accidentally moved from across the aperture 4.'y

ln all olf the preceding embodiments, it

maaar/e is provided with an apertureor recess 20' into which one end of a stud 1a is threaded, the stud having a shoulder or flange 21 limiting the extent to which the stud may be threaded into the member 2a. rAt the desired spaced distance from the member 2a, the stud may be provided with a flange 22 against which the member 3 may be secured, the same as in the preceding embodiments.

rllhe portion of the stud immediately in Jfront of the iange 22 is provided with a portion 23 of reduced diameter and of a size approximately equal to the size of the aperture 4, so that when the member 3 is placedv over the. end of the stud, it will be received upon the portion 23 which corresponds to the iange 5 of the preceding embodiments. ln front of the portion 23, the stud has an annular groove 24 serving as the undercut beneath the head'8a of the stud.

The head 8a must not be larger than the portion 23 which lills the aperture 4, otherwise it cannot be passed through the` aperture during a connection together of the members'. Any of the latch devices shown in the lother figures may be employed to engage. in the underc'ut24 and prevent withdrawal of the stud from the member 3, and such latch devices may be interhooked with one another as in Figs'. 1 and 2, or engaged'with hooks upon the member 3 as in Figs. 3 and 4. in order to prevent accidental or unintentionaL release of the stud.

ln order to effect a connection between the -two members. themembers are brought toj member' 3, and the latch device 4engaged in the undercut. "The arms of the latch device,A it will be observed, 4are normally biased to extend across the aperture, so that when released they will tend to snap into the under cut 7 or 24 of the stud and thereby lock the latter against lwithdrawal from the member 3. Preferably only the head and undercut portion of each stud will project beyond the v member `3. ln order to separate the mmbers, it is only necessary to' disengage the latch from the bolt by springing the arm or arms away from the stud, laterally, so as to clear the undercut, whereupon the stud will" be released and may he withdrawn from the aperture 4. lt will be understood, however',

that the arms of the latch must be' disengaged from one another o rv from the hooks 22 before beingfieXed out of the undercut of the stud. f

It will also be understood that several sheets of material 3 may be secured directly to the'base or structure 2, it being merely necessary to provide the flange or collar 5 'of a thickness corresponding to the combined thickness of the members to be secured to the member 2. Inasmuch as the latch device is permanently connected to the member 3, it can never become lost or misplaced, and will always be in proper position to engage with the stud when an assembly is to be made. The assembly or connection together of the two members may be accomplished rapidly and easily without the use of any special tools, and wit-hout special skill on the part of the workmen.

It will be understood that instead of a circular undercut groove in the stud, one or more milled slots may be utilized as the undercut. It will also be understood that the stud is not necessarily of circular cross section, but maybe of any form which may be desired. Each stud may also be secured to the'member 2 or 2i* in any other suitable manner, instead of in the manner illustrated, and the ymembers to be secured are not necessarily flat members. In all of the embodiments of the invention, the short stretch of the latch wire connecting` the spring arm could have slight offsets therein at the ,endsv of the bearing in the strap 13, as shown at" 13a in Fig. 4, so that the latch device could not slide in the bearing under thej strap out of proper latching position.

It will be obvious that various other changes in the details, which have been herein described and illustratedfor the purpose of explaining the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim l. A composite structure comprising two members to be connected, a stud carried by and projecting from one of said members, the other ofsaid members having an aperture through which the stud projects, a latch comprising a stretch of wire doubled upon itself to form two free Aarms connected bya short base ortion, and a strap secured tothe aperturedp member and hingedly confining the base portion of said wire theretowitlrthe arms of the wire extending across the aperture, whereby the wire may be swung .about its` hinged connection to the apertured member into positions to cover or uncover said aperture, the projecting end of said stud being undercut, whereby when projecting through said aperture the arms of said wire may be sprung laterally to-clear the head and snap into said undercut and lock the stud against withdrawal from the aperture.

2.' A composite structure comprising two members to be connected, a stud carried by and projecting from one of said members, the other of said members having an aperture through which the stud projects, a latch comprising a stretch of Wire doubled upon itself to form twofree arms connected by a short base portion, and a strap secured to the apertured member and hingedly confining the base portion of said wire thereto, with the arms of the wire extending across the aperture, whereby the wire may be swung about its hinged connection to the apertured member into positions to cover or uncover said aperture, the projecting end of said stud being undercut whereby when it is projecting through said aperture, the arms of said wire may be sprung laterally thereof to clear. the head, snap into said undercut, and lock the stud against withdrawal from the aperture, one of said arms being bent to form a hook with which the other of said arms may be engaged to latch them together in said undercut.

3. A composite structure comprising two members to be connected, a stud carried by and projecting from one of said members, the other of said members having an aperture through which the stud projects, the

.projecting end of the stud having an undercut, a stretchof resilient wire bent upon itself to form two arms connected by a short base portion, and means for securing said short base portion to. the apertured member with the arms of the wire extending across said aperture, whereby said arms may be flexed laterally from across said opening to permit of the insertion of the stud and snap into said undercut when released, and thereby lock the stud against removal, one of said arms being bent to form a hook with which the other arm may be engaged in order to prevent disengagement ofthe arms from the undercut. y

-In witness whereof, I hereunto my signature.

NATHAN F. VANDERLIPP.

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